Kane Realty announced plans for two mixed-use developments in Cary: Flatiron, a seven-story apartment and retail building on Chatham Street in Cary’s West End, and 7001 Weston, a redevelopment of an aging office building into a five-story apartment community with ground-floor retail. Together, the two projects would add up to 488 new homes, including a long-term affordability commitment at 7001 Weston, along with retail and gathering space serving two distinct, fast-growing parts of Cary.
“Cary has become one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, and its downtown is transforming just as quickly. Flatiron is an opportunity to help shape downtown with thoughtfully designed, walkable, mixed-use places that create long-term value for the community. 7001 Weston answers a different question—how an established suburban office corridor evolves to help solve a housing problem that wasn’t present when it was built,” said Mike Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Kane Realty.
Ya Liu, a North Carolina State Representative and former Cary Town Council member, shared her thoughts: “I’m delighted to learn that Kane Realty, a seasoned developer, plans to invest in and bring their work to Cary, a growing and thriving town. Their projects don’t simply add buildings—they help bring communities to life, and that’s exactly the kind of thoughtful investment Cary’s continued growth deserves. These developments will deliver much-needed housing to help address the housing shortage, along with high-quality retail that will further enhance our vibrant community.”
Flatiron is a proposed seven-story, mixed-use building on approximately two acres at 602 W. Chatham Street and 523 Old Apex Road, directly across from Vicious Fishes Brewery and South Line Brewing Co. The site, adjacent to the Chatham Street roundabout, sits at one of Cary’s most visible gateways to downtown. The project will include 213 apartment homes above 5,659 square feet of restaurant and retail space, with structured parking. The restaurant and retail space will front Old Apex Road near the traffic circle and feature outdoor patio seating designed to complement the public realm.
Flatiron will be Kane Realty’s first residential development in downtown Cary and is being pursued in partnership with Mackenan, a local developer whose work along Chatham Street and in Cary’s West End has helped shape downtown’s recent evolution.
Together, Highwoods Properties and Kane Realty are collaborating to redevelop an office building site at 7001 Weston Parkway, a property that is obsolete in today’s office market. The plan calls for a five-story multifamily building at the corner of Weston Parkway and Norwell Boulevard, in nearly the exact footprint of the existing office building, which is the section of the site farthest from existing single-family homes. The plan intentionally preserves the remainder of the property, allowing the existing surface parking and mature tree canopy along the southern and western edges to be preserved, continuing to function as a natural buffer between the new building and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The unit mix includes up to 275 apartment homes designed to provide a range of housing options within walking distance of employment and daily services along the Weston corridor. The ground-floor retail is envisioned as neighborhood-serving uses such as a coffee shop, small restaurant, or personal services that activate the street for residents and the surrounding community. As part of the proposal, 5% of units would be maintained as affordable for households earning at or below 80% of the area median income for a minimum of 30 years. This commitment ensures that a portion of the housing at this location remains accessible to working households for decades to come.
“Thanks to Highwoods and the Town of Cary’s care in developing the Weston corridor over the years, this site already has everything a neighborhood needs to grow: infrastructure, road access, utilities, and proximity to jobs. Replacing a building that’s reached the end of its life with 275 homes is the kind of smart development that helps fix the housing shortage without using up open land or putting extra strain on roads. Together with Highwoods, we’ve worked closely with planning staff and neighbors to refine our design for the site, protecting the tree canopy, maintaining meaningful buffers, and committing to long-term affordability, which together make this a place that serves the surrounding community,” shared Kallie Walker, Managing Director of Development with Kane Realty.
Highwoods Properties and the team have worked closely with the Town of Cary planning staff and the neighboring residential community to arrive at a plan that reflects both the evolving nature of the Weston office market and the priorities of the neighborhood at its edge.